Love at First Site: Becoming a Sponsor of Choice

According to SCRS, complexity was one of the top three reasons why a site will decline a study. In other words, sites aren't looking to conduct trials for just any sponsor. The question is, do sponsors truly know what drives this complexity or what else sites may be looking for, including the quality of the sponsor site relationship and site engagement?    

We aimed to answer this question in our DPHARM 2025 session, The Final Rose: Love at First Site!  

On this panel inspired by The Bachelorette, four study sponsors competed to be one Clinical Research Program Manager’s Sponsor of Choice. To earn the final rose, each sponsor had to prove their commitment to improving patient recruitment, site efficiency, and overall site engagement.  

Key Takeaways

• To become a "sponsor of choice," sponsors can focus on reducing site complexity and strengthening site-sponsor relationships.

• Strategies highlighted by panelists included responsive, direct communication, streamlined recruitment workflows with automation and integrations, fair and flexible screen-fail payment practices, and tech designed to cut administrative chaos.

Meet the Panelists

Study Sponsors

• Patrick Floody, Regeneron
• Gretchen Goller, Pfizer
• Dennis Salotti, Jazz Pharmaceuticals
• Adrienne Walstrum, Merck 

Site Bachelorette

Lauren Mitteer, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  

To choose which sponsor was her true match made in clinical research, Lauren asked them about their strategies to reduce site burden and improve engagement.   

Strong Site Sponsor Connections

Lauren emphasized the need for a strong site sponsor relationship. Dennis from Jazz promised direct access to the sponsor with maximum responsiveness and a strong infrastructure to support the most effective communication with the site.  

Building trust through reliability? Sounds like the key to any site’s heart. 

Less Time Chasing

Sites spend a lot of time searching for the right contact and chasing down answers, especially when the patient is present. Patrick from Regeneron offered the perfect solution: a secure chat function for immediate help. “Whether I’m at my desk or on my phone, I can get you an answer right away.” This kind of responsiveness boosts site engagement.

Who needs to be wined and dined when you can have direct chat with your study sponsor? 

Streamlined Recruitment Support

"I have a love/hate relationship with central recruitment support from sponsors,” Lauren told Gretchen from Pfizer. Her sponsor of choice would offer streamlined follow-up for higher likelihood that patients will pass screening.   

She was ecstatic to hear Gretchen’s ideas: automated call scheduling to prevent phone tag, IRT integrations to reduce reconciliation of referrals to randomizations and screen failures, and eliminating limits on screen fail payments.  

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but really all she wants is more qualified patients. 

Cutting Through the Chaos

Interpreting visit flows, keeping track of documents and technology, and remembering contacts: it’s all a drain on the site's time. (40 hours a week, to be exact!) Adrienne from Merck knew just what our site bachelorette needed: technology to help manage documentation, and task-specific support tools. Most importantly, Adrienne emphasized listening to sites and establishing partnerships to provide them with the help they need. 

As Lauren put it: “Efficiency and accuracy: that is my love language.” 

The Final Rose

When it came time to deliver the final rose, Lauren faced a tough choice. “As a modern-day researcher,” she said, “I want it all!”  

With that, all four of our sponsor panelists received a rose for proving their deep commitment to site engagement and efficiency. 

Sponsors Are Committed, and so Are We!

As a sponsor, you want the best for your sites. After all, your study depends on it! But it’s a heavy lift, and we’re here to support you. We help sponsors become a sponsor of choice by strengthening the sponsor site relationship and supporting consistent site engagement. Learn more about our site engagement solution. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to be a "sponsor of choice" for research sites?

A sponsor of choice is a sponsor that sites actively prefer to work with because they prioritize reducing operational complexity and foster a strong, responsive partnership. 

How can sponsors improve central recruitment without adding burden to sites?

By focusing on quality and seamless follow-up. Automated call scheduling to prevent phone tag, IRT integrations to align referrals with randomizations and screen outcomes, and eliminating limits on screen-fail payments are all measures that boost the likelihood of bringing in better-qualified patients while minimizing extra work for sites.

Why is direct, responsive communication so critical to research sites, and what does it look like in practice?

When a patient is present, delays cost time and trust. When sponsors implement direct, responsive communication tools and processes, they can reduce the need for sites to "chase," speed up decision-making, and strengthen site engagement.

What role does technology play in reducing site burden?

Technology can tame the "administrative chaos" of interpreting visit flows, managing documents, and tracking contacts. This type of work consumes enormous time each week. Tools for documentation management and task-specific support, coupled with active listening and strong partnership, deliver efficiency and accuracy in study execution.